


Duty or Dishonour?

by Dirty_wxstelander



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Bisexual Male Character, Break Up, Brotherhood of Steel - Freeform, F/M, Heartbreak, M/M, Rebound Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-30
Updated: 2016-07-30
Packaged: 2018-07-27 17:19:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7627174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dirty_wxstelander/pseuds/Dirty_wxstelander
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After discovering the truth about his lover, Paladin Danse, Elder Maxson faces one of the toughest decisions he has and will ever make...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Duty or Dishonour?

**Author's Note:**

> *Spoilers alert*  
> Currently writing a Part 2 :)

The Elder stared at the terminal in shock, he had to see the truth for himself. The bright green writing became a blur as he stumbled back. Proctor Quinlan eyed him as the colour faded from his face.  
'S-so Danse is a synth?' He choked.  
'I'm afraid so. Designation M7-97. What actions will you take, Sir?' Quinlan explained, his tone concerned.  
'Could you-could you just give me a minute?' Maxson asked, still staring, wide eyed, at the toxic green words before him.  
'Of course, I understand you and Paladin Danse were...close' Quinlan's thin lips curved into some sort of sympathetic smile. He left the room swiftly, closing the door behind him. Maxson waited for his footsteps to fade out before letting out his anger. He kicked the metal wall with a growl of rage and slumped down to the ground. The tears came fast and were streaming down his hot cheeks before he could wipe them away. Not too long later, Quinlan returned, looking down at the disoriented Elder, his eyebrows furrowed. Maxson jumped to his feet suddenly.  
'Sorry to disturb, Sir, I've just received word from a Knight at Cambridge Police Station that Paladin Danse has disappeared' Quinlan informed.  
'Shit'  
'Furthermore, they also told me that he is likely hiding at some "Listening Post Bravo" if that means anything to you. I can check the location if you need?' Quinlan continued, eying his superior over the rim of his glasses.  
'That won't be necessary, Proctor, I'll send a squad to the location immediately' Maxson said firmly, all emotion drained from his voice, and then he left the room.

He boarded the vertibird and gave the location to the pilot. The journey seemed to drag, but equally the jolting motion of the vertibird lowering itself to the ground brought a sickening feeling to him. He jumped down and entered the pre-war bunker.   
'Arthur-please!' Paladin Danse cried as he noticed the Elder approach.  
'Why didn't you tell me?' Maxson growled.  
'I didn't know! You have to believe me! Please-I love you!' The distressed Paladin's eyes began to glisten with forming tears.  
Elder Maxson sighed. 'You do realise this goes against everything I'm fighting for? Everything we're fighting for? Everybody knows, Danse, nobody will take me seriously if I let you get away. I hate synths...but-damnit-I fucking love you' Maxson bit his lip.  
'It's still me, I still feel the same way about you I always have, I still share all the Brotherhood's views...only now I'm the enemy, how is that fair? All my long years of service, all the pain I've been through, all the lives I've taken to fight against abominations...fighting against myself. Because that's all I am; an abomination. How could you love me? I'm not even human. All of it-it's all lies!' Danse cried.  
'I have to put my duty first...but I just can't bring myself to kill you'  
'I understand. If I must die, then let it be' Danse said, his voice already sounded empty.  
'I've already lost one person I love, maybe I just wasn't meant to love' Maxson paused. He walked up to Danse, eyes staring deeply into his. He lifted his arm and felt for the chain around Danse's neck. Upon finding it he pulled it loose and held the dog tags tight in his hand. Danse looked at him in confusion.  
'As far as I'm concerned you're dead' the Elder said, his voice like a bullet.  
'W-will I ever see you again?' Danse queried, following like a lost puppy as the Elder strode away.  
Stopping, Maxson turned to face Danse and pulled his pistol to his lover's head.  
'Move out of the way' Maxson instructed, a little softer. Confused, Danse obeyed and stepped out of the line fire. Moments later there came a gunshot, followed by the clink of a bullet casing hitting the floor. The Elder holstered his pistol once more and proceeded to exit the bunker. Once again, Danse tried to follow.  
'Arthur! Will I ever see you again?' He called after him, his voice cracked with desperation.  
'Will you be quiet? The only evidence I have to save your ass are your dog tags and that gunshot! I'm so sorry-' The person Danse had looked up to when he needed strength, was now crumbling before him and his brave and stubborn shell had disintegrated in seconds, revealing the man within. Maxson felt like a child again, never had he felt so weak in his whole time as Elder. He threw his arms around Danse and pulled him tightly into an embrace, whilst sobbing quietly into his shoulder. After a few minutes, he pulled away and took a deep breath.  
'In answer to your question, I'm not sure if I can' The Elder left it at that and walked away for the last time. Danse watched with his wide brown eyes, heartbroken. 

Maxson strode up to the vertibird and boarded once more.  
'That took a while,' the pilot noted.  
'He put up a good fight, and a strong argument...but it's my duty' 

*  
Elder Maxson stood before the great glass window of the command deck, though it wasn't the Commonwealth he was watching. He stared into his own cold eyes in the ghostly reflection of himself, which appeared to be staring back. Then he noticed another reflection walking up to him. He remained facing away.  
'Permission to speak, sir?' A timid female voice said from behind.  
The Elder turned to see Scribe Haylen. 'Granted'  
'I-um-I was just coming to ask about...Danse' she looked down at the ground.  
'He's dead-'  
'With all due respect, sir, I know that's a lie' The Scribe interrupted. Instead of scolding her for interrupting, he eyed her strangely. He bit his lip.  
'This isn't the place-come with me' The Elder nodded towards the door and walked away, Haylen following at his heels.  
Elder Maxson pulled out his keys and unlocked the door at the end of the mid-deck. He held it open and gestured for Haylen to enter, before firmly closing the door.  
'How do you know?'  
'Forgive me, sir, I know I broke how ever many rules-' Haylen began.  
'Forget about the rules. Carry on'  
'Well you know me and Paladin Danse were close-not romantically-we were, well we are, very good friends. So having known him so well I knew where he'd run to in the event of trouble and so I spoke to Knight Rhys-that son of a bitch-and he made sure that you were alerted of his location. Anyway, I left not long after he did and found him at the bunker. Then we heard the vertibird approaching and he told me to leave so I hid round the back. I heard the gunshot and thought the worst and after you left I went back inside the bunker and I was shocked to find him still alive...why did you spare him?' Haylen looked back at the Elder suspiciously.  
'I'm surprised he never told you, Haylen. Call it what you will, but I loved him, more than just a brother' he confessed.  
Haylen raised her eyebrows. 'I-I had no idea-I didn't think you-wow' she let out a little laugh.  
Maxson smiled. 'What?'  
'I-erm-' Haylen blushed.  
'Don't worry I'm still interested in women' The Elder smirked, noticing Haylen's awkwardness.  
'Well-that's a relief' she laughed nervously.  
Maxson raised an eyebrow. 'Why so?'  
'Well, when I first joined I-erm-we all had crushes on you'  
'Oh I see how it is' Maxson grinned, he was almost laughing.  
'Then I kinda accepted the fact that I was just a Scribe and you were an Elder and...that was that'  
'You remind me of somebody. Sarah, her name was. She was a sentinel and I was a squire and I admired her so much, she taught me everything. Her father raised me, Elder Lyons. She was like a sister to me but I loved her so much. Unfortunately she just saw me as a little brother' he smiled, sadly.  
'When her father died, well he was my father too, I was sixteen, and She became the new Elder, I was one of her closest advisers...' He sighed.  
'What happened with Sarah, did you ever tell her how you feel?' Haylen asked.  
'Well, I tried on several occasions but I know she was too professional, and I was too young. But then things finally started to look up for us...'  
'And?'  
'And then, one day, out of the blue, they brought her in on a stretcher. They couldn't save her on the field, she was already dead when they brought her back to me'  
'I-I'm so sorry'-I should never have asked-' Before Haylen could continue, Maxson had lifted a finger to her lips and shushed her. He came in closer and kissed her, she did not retreat, but he felt her heart racing as he pulled her closer...  
He started to undo her uniform and pulled her towards the bed.  
'Do you think this a good idea?' Haylen said, pulling away.  
Maxson pulled her closer and began to kiss her neck. 'Why wouldn't it be' he breathed against her skin.  
'You're still getting over Danse and-and Rhys will go crazy if he finds out-'  
Maxson stopped and looked up at her, eyebrows raised. 'You're afraid of Rhys? He'll have me to answer to if he has a problem' he reassured, lifting her small hand to lips.  
'But we only broke up a few days ago, isn't that a bit quick-'  
Maxson lifted his finger to her lips and hushed again. 'You worry too much, you're a free woman'  
Haylen nodded. 'Yes I am' she smirked, and she lurched forward, pushing Maxson down on the bed. She climbed on top of him, only her underwear remaining. She started to grind over him and bit and sucked at his neck until a large red mark was visible. He lifted her up in order to remove his own clothes and knelt down at the side of the bed, pulling her down to him as his tongue met her. She let out a gasp and grabbed at his hair, tugging everytime she wanted to let out noise.  
A few minutes later, Maxson pulled her up, kissed her and then bent her over the bed. He entered her slowly and held onto her hips as he upped the pace and the hardness. No matter how much she tried, Haylen couldn't keep in the noise as she orgasmed, hoping the thick metal walls would muffle any noise.  
Not too long after, Maxson reached his climax and came inside of her. He lay on the bed beside her, breathing heavy. He reached for a cigar and lit it, exhaling a plume of smoke into the musty atmosphere.  
'Cigarette?' He asked, handing Haylen a box of cigarettes.  
'Thanks' she breathed, still somewhat out of breath.  
'You have to promise me you'll never speak about Danse again? As far as you're concerned he's dead' Maxson said, his expression grave.  
Haylen lit the cigarette and took a drag. 'I promise'


End file.
